When It Comes To Protein, North Americans Still Flock To Meatby The Nielsen CompanyPosted: 2017-11-09 15:30:02 EST

When it comes to protein, nearly half of consumers eat a form of protein with every meal. For one-fifth of consumers in both the U.S. and Canada, plant-based proteins like legumes, seeds and nuts are among their preferred sources of protein. However, animal protein from meat, such as chicken, beef, turkey, pork and seafood, ranks first, which aligns with the fact that consumers in both countries spend more than half of their protein dollars on animal protein.

In fact, many consumers associate eating animal protein with being healthy. According to a recent consumer survey in the U.S. and Canada, many of those surveyed believe unprocessed meat is good for you, and more than a third say people who don’t consume animal proteins are missing out on certain nutrients.

Aside from the perceived health benefits, retailers and meat producers also need to understand how the price tag affects consumption. This is particularly important when prices fluctuate. Looking back to the first quarter of 2017 in the U.S., fresh meat was one of the top categories contributing to price deflation, or the reduction of general prices in the economy. Dollars sales declined (with exception of turkey and lamb sales in Canada), while volume sales continue to rise. This indicates that consumers are capitalizing on lower prices to satisfy their animal protein preferences.